Nyeupe: Protector of the Pridelands
by ManOfAction1138
Summary: Never in the Circle of Life has a human stepped foot into the Pridelands...until now. Meet Nyeupe: a young human boy whose memory had to be lost in order to save his sight, but a destiny has now been forged, to serve and defend as a Knight of Pride Rock and Protector of the Pridelands!
1. Chapter 1: The Hairless Monkey

Sura 1 (Chapter 1): The Hairless Monkey

**Pride Lands, The Waterhole**

"What is it?", asked an elephant in a crowd full of animals, who were all gathered in a circle. "Looks like some kind of hairless monkey.", piped up a giraffe, craning her head down to get a better look at the strange creature.

"Uhhh...", groaned the creature in pain and slowly opened its warm blue eyes. Immediately, it started to take in its surroundings before blurting out, "What the?!", then screaming and backpedaling on the ground, attempting to escape.

"PLEASE DON'T EAT ME! I'M TOO CHEWY!" "The king is coming! His majesty is coming! Make way!", bellowed the authoritative voice of Zazu, a red-billed hornbill and the King of Pride Rock's majordomo, as he flew amidst the crowd.

Several animals to the creature's left suddenly started moving left and right to the sound of a bossy, weasel-like voice shouting, "Make room! Make room! Watch it, flatfoot! King Simba's walking here!" From the space in the crowd, emerged a meerkat and a warthog, Timon and Pumbaa, and behind them a great lion: Simba, King of Pride Rock and ruler of the Pride Lands.

"What's all the commotion about?", asked Simba to the crowd of animals, who all bowed once he entered the middle of the circle, until his eyes fell on the creature. Simba immediately sensed the fear and confusion in the creature and decided not to greet it with as much hostility as he had originally planned to.

Instead he approached the creature and asked, "Who are you and where do you come from, young one?" The creature, now identified as a young adolescent male (young because of his appearance), took one look at him and promptly fainted.

"Well, somebody's tired.", said Pumbaa nonchalantly, "He mustn't have had his nap today." Timon groaned and said, "Pumbaa, you mook, he's not taking a nap! Simba is a lion: otherwise known as a 550-pound on average predator known for their hunting skills, claws and teeth. In conclusion, they scare the living grubs out of animals sometimes!"

Pumbaa's eyes lit up immediately and he trotted over to Simba asking, "Could you scare me, Simba? I've been having problems with fleas recently. Their starting to itch like crazy." Timon rolled his eyes and groaned, "You're missing the point, Pumbaa! Nevermind, why do I even bother?"

Pumbaa replied, "I don't know, Timon. You'd think you'd have learned your lesson by now." Timon promptly face-palmed and fell over. "There's no time for this!", said Simba urgently, "Everyone, return to your business! I'm taking the young creature to Rafiki!" With that, Simba loaded the strange new animal onto his back and took off for Rafiki's home, the Tree of Life.

* * *

**On the border of the Apelands, Tree of Life**

When Simba arrived at the Tree of Life, he could hear, "Asante sana, squash banana. Wewe nugu mimi hapana.", being sung in the tree's interior. It was Rafiki, a mandrill and the King of Pride Rock's royal adviser. "Rafiki!", called Simba from below, "I need to speak with you."

Rafiki stopped his singing, turned around and saw Simba standing at the Tree of Life's trunk and greeted him with, "Ohohoho! Mufasa's boy wants to have a chat with old Rafiki, eh? Well, don't dawdle! Come in! Come in!"

Simba climbed up the base of the tree, taking care not to lose the creature on his back, and climbed up to where Rafiki was standing. With a shake of his shoulders, Simba dropped the creature on the floor of the Tree of Life, "You can tell me who or what this is."

Trademark staff in hand, Rafiki sauntered over to the young male and proceeded to poke, prod and examine every inch of him, then said, "This is a young human male: a creature thought to exist only in myth, until obviously right now."

"A human?", asked Simba, "I've never heard of them." Rafiki got a twinkle in his eye and said, "That's the beauty of being old, dear boy. You get around a lot. Humans are much like us: capable of great compassion and great violence."

Simba tensed up for a second and said rather heatedly, "How do we know he isn't a threat?" Rafiki smiled knowingly and said, "That's the thing, dear boy, I don't know. But sometimes, to know whether someone is bad or good, you just have to trust them and take the time to get to know them."

"Perhaps.", replied Simba, "But that doesn't explain how we found him passed out in the middle of the savanna." Rafiki hunched over a little more, if that was even possible, and examined the adolescent human, saying, "Hmmm, where exactly did you find him again?"

"In the grasslands out near that big hole. Why?" Rafiki gasped and quickly replied, "Uhhhh, no reason! This old monkey was just curious. Now lift the boy up a bit, will you?" "Okay.", said Simba awkwardly while pushing the human up with his head, "How are we going to wake him up?"

Rafiki stood with his stick poised, replied, "Like this.", and promptly hit the human on the head with his walking stick. The mysterious human instantly shot up, howled in agony (Simba flinched at that, feeling his pain), and yelled, "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?! Who hit me?!"

"Just me, young one." The human looked around frantically and asked, "Okay. Now where is you? Where's anything?" Rafiki grabbed his hand and said, "Don't worry, boy, I'm right here. My name is Rafiki and I am your friend. Tell me, what is that you call yourself?"

The human looked like he was deep in thought for a second before breaking down and sobbing out, "I don't know! I can't remember anything!" Without even thinking, Simba ran over and pulled him into an embrace causing the boy to stiffen, but then relax into the lion's warm fur.

"It's alright, you're safe. Nothing's going to hurt you.", cooed the King of Pride Rock, who soon heard the sound of light breathing, indicating that the human was asleep. Simba set him down, turned to Rafiki and asked, "Rafiki, what's wrong with him?"

Rafiki sighed and replied, "From what I could see, his eyes were blurred over which is an indicator of blindness; probably from the shock of seeing you and all the others." "He can't see?", asked Simba, "Will he be like that for the rest of his life?"

Rafiki scratched his chin thoughtfully and said, "I know a spell that will restore his sight, but..." "But what?", interrupted Simba. "It has the side effect of heightening all of his senses to the equivalent of those of other animals. He will have the speed of a cheetah, the roar of a lion, the agility of monkey, the strength of an elephant, the smell of a warthog..."

"Okay, Rafiki.", interrupted Simba, "I get it, just do it." Rafiki nodded and said nonchalantly, "Okiedokey." Rafiki began shaking his stick over the human; then he cracked open one of the gourds, dipping his finger in it and spreading the juice on the human's forehead, chanted, "Asante sana squash banana, wewe nugu mimi hapana. Asante sana squash banana, wewe nugu mimi hapana."

Then, all of a sudden, the most amazing thing happened. The boy's eyes opened, but instead of the foggy blue they were a moment ago, they were a deep red and his pupils were slit, not unlike the King of Pride Rock's.

The adolescent human started to let out a feral growl, like that of a predator, and promptly sat up in a crouching four-legged position, Rafiki and Simba taking notice of his now claw-like fingernails, opened his mouth and...burped?

* * *

**So there we are, the adventures of Nyeupe begin. Of course, The Lion King is owned by Disney and, just for the record, one of the best traditionally animated Disney film of all time. **


	2. Chapter 2: A New Animal (Sort of)

Sura 2 (Chapter 2): A New Animal (Sort of)

**Tree of Life, On the border of the Apelands**

The burp lasted for more than 12 minutes with Simba and Rafiki being blown back by the sheer power of it. Then the boy promptly let out a, "Whew!", and said, "Did you here that?"

Rafiki and Simba looked at the young human with disbelief at the vulgar display that they had just witnessed beforehand and the boy's sudden mood swing from afraid to angry to relaxed. Simba looked at Rafiki, hoping for an answer; to which Rafiki replied, "Even I don't get that one."

"A-Are you alright?", Simba stammered, still shook up by the force of the belch that would rival Pumbaa's farts. The boy looked deep in thought for a moment before replying, "I don't actually know. I don't even know who I am to be honest. Do you?"

Simba was about to respond, but Rafiki interrupted with, "Ohohoho! My friend, we know exactly who you are!" "You do?", asked the human, while Simba repeated in second person under his breath with a fake smile, "Yeah, we do? Uh, excuse us for a second." Simba pulled Rafiki aside and seethed quietly, "What are you doing?"

Rafiki shrugged and replied, "Well the boy's got to have a name, doesn't he?" "We don't even know what he's like yet, Rafiki.", Simba berated, "He could be tricking us into letting our guard down." Rafiki sighed, Simba's uncle Scar's lies and deceit had really taken its toll on Simba's trust towards others. So the old mandrill simply stood up straight and sauntered over to the turtle shell of dust he had smelled to learn of Simba being alive, took a handful and threw it into the air.

The young human's eyes went wide and he immediately rolled onto his back trying to catch the dust in his mouth, rolling this way and that as well. "Does that answer your question?", asked Rafiki sarcastically. Simba still didn't look completely convinced so Rafiki elaborated, "Remember what I said earlier, sometimes to know whether someone is good or bad, you just have to trust them and take the time to get to know them. I think it would be a good idea to give him a home here in the Pridelands. Who knows, maybe his life here will be better than the one before?

Simba looked over at the boy rolling in his back in complete euphoria, trying to catch dust in his mouth. Seeing behavior like this reminded Simba of himself as a cub and how he felt after his father was killed in the wildebeest stampede and Timon and Pumbaa went out of their way to take him in; sad, scared, unsure of whom to trust. This boy needed someone to guide him, protect him, and show him the "law of the jungle" so to speak and Simba now felt that responsibility lay with him.

Simba walked steadily and cautiously over to the human; but before he could speak, the human suddenly stopped and made an awful coughing and hacking noise almost like he...was..."CHOKING!", screamed Rafiki at the top of his lungs, dropping his prized stick and running over to the boy.

Rafiki got behind him, wrapped his spindly arms around the human and began squeezing on his chest shouting, "Nje na hewa mbaya! Katika na nzuri! Nje na hewa mbaya! Katika na nzuri!" The old mandrill, with surprising strength, flipped the human on his back, straddled him, and exclaimed, "Now, the kiss of life!"

Simba, looking on in horror at Rafiki's attempts to "rescue" the poor, choking human, piped up, "Uh, Rafiki I don't think...", to which Rafiki interrupted with, "Epepep! Let this old monkey handle this!" Rafiki was about to dive in to give mouth to mouth when the human's eyes shot open and he screamed in panic and fear, scrambling away from the mandrill and diving outside the Tree of Life, running into the vast grassy plains of the Pridelands, screaming all the way.

"No! Rafiki, come on! We've gotta go after him!", exclaimed Simba who was about to make a mad dash, but stopped when he saw from behind that Rafiki wasn't following. "Aren't you coming, Rafiki?" Rafiki simply said, "Nope. Better to let the boy figure this out for himself, for now anyway." And so Simba sat, worrying about the strange new arrival in the Pridelands.

* * *

**The Waterhole, Pridelands**

The amnesiac human was running out of breath as he tried to escape the crazy old monkey who almost made out with him. He looked behind him to make sure the crazy primate wasn't in pursuit, but didn't see where he was going until he tripped and landed in the wrinkly trunk of an elephant who was grazing on some water lilies. The boy gasped in horror and backed away, right into another elephant and gasped again. Finally, he stumbled right underneath an elephant rearing up on his hind legs to trumpet.

The human buckled under the pressure and let out a scream that went something like, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Ahh?" The elephants all turned to look at him and several looked at him with feelings of being freaked out and annoyed. "Hey! You're stirring up the water, dude!", said one elephant and another scolded, "You're frightening the children!"

Several other pachyderms began gathering around to complain about the noise, but halfway through their ranting a voluminous trumpet could be heard from the other side of the Waterhole. Into the water came a large, blackish elephant with a missing tusk; it was Tembo, the elephant patriarch. "What's going on here?! What's all the commotion about?!", rumbled Tembo.

Immediately, the elephants cleared a path for him and pointed their tusks in unison at the human. Tembo lumbered up to the human and chuckled mirthfully, "So, you're the "hyoo-mane" that Simba was asking around for. I must say, you've caused quite a bit of mischief today, young man." The human immediately relaxed upon hearing the elephant's mirthful tone and replied, "Sorry about that, but I've had one heck of a day! First, I lost my sight after seeing a lot of animals around me; then I get it back, only to find a crazy old monkey making out with me!"

The Waterhole erupted with laughter at the human's expense and soon enough he joined in with them; albeit uncomfortably and forced. "Rafiki spooked you, eh?", asked Tembo, still coming down from his humorous high, "Don't worry, it sounds like he was trying to give you "the kiss of life". "That's right! That's right! I meant no harm!", sounded the crazed, gravelly voice of Rafiki, followed by Simba.

The human squeaked and hid behind Tembo, who, sighing and shaking his head, reached behind him with his trunk, wrapped the human in it, and plopped him down in front of Simba. The king of Pride Rock said, "I think that this would be a good time to start over. Hello, my name is Simba. I'm the king of this land and this my adviser, Rafiki."

The human immediately brightened up and exclaimed, "Nice to meet you, Simba!", taking the king's paw and shaking it profusely. Everyone was amazed and appalled by the human not kneeling before Simba; if Zazu were there, he would have been as mad as a hippo with a hernia. However, Simba didn't mind and, in fact, was amused by the human's innocence and naiveté; but the king grew solemn for an important question still lingered in his mind.

"Do you remember who you are yet?", asked Simba, which triggered the reaction of the human immediately and visibly deflated. Rafiki could feel the boy's sadness at not knowing his identity and interrupted, "Well, that settles it then! We shall have to give you a name!" Rafiki put his finger on his chin and scratched, leaning in out of the human's gaze and making him a bit uncomfortable.

"Hmmm.", hmmed Rafiki, "How about Rangi? No, you don't look like a Rangi. Pausha? No. Aha! I have it! From this day to the next, you shall be known as: NYEUPE!" The human thought about it and smiled, replying, "Yeah, I like that name. Nyeupe it is!"

The animals were about to cheer, but Zazu suddenly flew in and landed in front of Simba and screamed, "SIRE! SIRE! A RHINO HAS GOTTEN HIMSELF STUCK IN THE GORGE ON TOP OF A ROCK FORMATION!" "What?!", exclaimed Simba, "How?!" Zazu huffed and replied, "Don't ask, sire. Hurry, hurry, there's no time to lose!"

Simba turned to the elephants and ordered, "Tembo, you and your elephants come with me! We'll need some pachyderm power for this! Nyeupe, stay here with Rafiki until we get back!" Nyeupe shot back, "But I can help! Please take me with you!" Simba stared at him firmly and said, "No. You're still new here and I don't want you to get hurt."

Simba, Zazu, and the elephants took of for the Gorge, leaving a frustrated Nyeupe and a sneaky Rafiki in the dust. Rafiki walked up to Nyeupe and said, "You know, sometimes, to do the right thing, we have to disobey the rules once in a while. This might very well be one of those times." "Yeah.", agreed Nyeupe sadly, but then his tone grew thoughtfully into, "Yeah!"

"So?", Rafiki asked, "What are you going to do?" Nyeupe looked at Rafiki and replied, "First, I'm gonna need to borrow your stick!" When Nyeupe tried to, however, Rafiki immediately started pulling back screeching, "NO, NOT THE STICK!" Nyeupe immediately trampled Rafiki over and took off yelling back, "Sorry, crazy old monkey! I feel like I might need it!"

Rafiki sat on his blue-bottomed rump alone, grumbling to himself, "Kids today. No respect for elders." Looking around, Rafiki continued, "He could have at least given me a ride."


	3. Chapter 3: Girth of a Hero

Sura 3 (Chapter 3): Girth (I mean Birth) of a Hero

**The Gorge, Pridelands**

"HHHHHHEEEEELLLLLLLPPPPPPP!", were the cries that could be heard on top of a rocky protrusion from a rhinoceros in distress. A small platoon of the largest animals in the Pridelands from the tallest giraffe to the widest elephant had gathered to help, but their attempts to get the horned hostage down from his precarious perch had so far all failed miserably.

Simba had just now arrived on the scene and was making his way over to a giraffe that was part of the rescue squad. "Your highness!", gasped the giraffe who bowed suddenly at the king's presence, but Simba raised up his paw and replied, "That's alright, Shingo. You can rise up." "Yes sir!", replied Shingo still high on hero worship, but able to straighten up.

Simba took a glance at the scene of crisis and asked, "How exactly did this happen?" Shingo deadpanned, "Let's just say that a swarm of bees can take a rhino through great leaps and bounds, literally." "HEY!", came a shout from above, "I"M STILL UP HERE YOU KNOW!" Simba looked toward the yelling rhino and replied, "Don't worry, we'll get you down from there as soon as we can!" The rhino glared and yelled back, "THAT'S WHAT THAT BEANPOLE FRIEND OF YOURS SAID, BUT I'M STILL UP HERE!" Then the rhino started flailing around yelling, "SEE?!", but in his flailing, he lost his balance, which with rhinos isn't very much, and began to tumble to the ground below.

Everyone was gasping and holding their breath as their horned neighbor fell from his precarious perch, but their focus was then interrupted by a blur zooming towards the canyon at cheetah speed. The blur screeched to a stop revealing itself to be the recently named Nyeupe with Rafiki's _borrowed _staff in hand; he sauntered over to the king of Pride Rock and asked, "What'd I miss?", then saw where everyone was looking and gasped at the rhino plummeting to certain demise.

Time seemed to lag into slow-motion and Nyeupe ran for one of the rocky walls surrounding the canyon, ignoring Simba's yells of, "Wait, Nyeupe! It's too dangerous!", and somersaulted right under the falling rhino, using Rafiki's stick to pole vault himself a bit farther, his arms raised out for a catch. Of course, given the size and weight ratio between rhinos and humans, Nyeupe was crushed flat under the bulk of his horned hostage. The other animals looked on in horror at what had just happened and gathered around to mourn; even the rhino shed a few tears for his late rescuer, sobbing, "Poor little guy! I'd be dead if it weren't for him!"

Suddenly, the rhino began to rise up, but not with his legs; Nyeupe was lifting him over his head with his bare hands, letting out a great, big, powerful roar of, "I BELIEVE IN MAGIC!" To say that the animals were surprised to see their latest arrival alive and well was an understatement; they were flabbergasted to see him okay and even more surprised to see this new creature's strength.

Rafiki came a little while later huffing and puffing from exertion not common for a monkey of his years, coughing out, "Must...*huff*...never...*huff*...run...*huff*...again!" The second Rafiki saw Nyeupe, he immediately pepped up and yelled, "YOU! THIEF! STRIKING AN OLD MONKEY DOWN AND THEN TAKING HIS STICK! THE NERVE OF YOU!" The other animals gasped at Rafiki's accusations and turned to glare at Nyeupe, firing a stream of accusatory questions at him.

Knowing that this would get out of hand soon enough, Simba let loose a mighty roar and everyone immediately shut up. "Enough!", ordered the king of Pride Rock, "Nyeupe is clearly not evil! Stupid! Incredibly stupid, maybe. But not evil!" Nyeupe pouted and replied, "Gee, thanks there, Aslan." Simba looked puzzled and asked, "Who's Aslan?" Nyeupe scratched his chin thoughtfully and replied, "You know what? I don't really know." The animals all just sweat dropped and Simba continued, "As I was saying, he saved this rhino's life! And that's good enough for me! He's proven his goodness to us, so he's allowed to stay! Please, as my subjects, make him feel welcome."

Nyeupe looked down, suddenly feeling guilty about taking Rafiki's stick, too which he apologized, "Sorry, crazy old monkey. I didn't mean to take your stick. I just felt like I needed it." Rafiki saw the sincerity in the human's voice replied, "Oh, that's okay, my boy. Besides, I've got another one!" And just like that, Rafiki pulled another stick out of no where and cackled maniacally. The animals all sighed at the old mystical mandrill's antics and turned to see Nyeupe, only for their faces to fall. "Uuuhhh, kid?", piped up the rescued rhino, "You might wanna consider covering yourself."

Nyeupe looked down at himself self-consciously and then looked up at the other animals and replied, "But you guys don't look like you're covered." Then out of the crowd, who should appear but Timon and Pumbaa. "Yeah, but we look good.", scolded Timon, "You, not so much." Nyeupe looked down sadly, but Pumbaa came to his defense and said, "Don't look sad, kid. We'll help you out. Won't we, Timon?" Timon looked hesitant for a second before Pumbaa glared at him, which caused Timon to flinch and say, "Yeah, why not! Hakuna Matata!", with a forced smile.

Nyeupe smiled enthusiastically and yelled, "Great! Let's do it!" Timon nodded and said, "Come on, kid! Our dream home awaits!" With that, Timon and Pumbaa sped off to their "dream home" with Nyeupe running behind them on all fours. Zazu hopped over to Simba and said, "Oh, sire. I have grave concerns about leaving him alone with those two miscreants. Do you think it wise to trust them with a delicate matter such as this?" Simba simply smiled knowingly and replied, "Zazu, I would trust them with my life.


	4. Chapter 4: Clothes Make The Animal

Sura 4 (Chapter 4): Clothes Make The Animal

**The Great Desert**

After several hours of running toward Timon and Pumbaa's Hakuna Matata Oasis, with Nyeupe in tow, the three of them eventually just started slowing down from exhaustion. "Yeesh, Pumbaa!", whined Timon, "Talk about your hotspot! How did Simba handle running across this desert back to the Pridelands?!" "He ran in slow-motion, remember?", Pumbaa replied, "That probably kept his lungs and heart rate level. Good cardio." Nyeupe, on the other hand, was much better off than the warthog and meerkat duo, showing no signs of exhaustion. "I don't know what you guys are so tired for!", Nyeupe said happily, "This is great! It's so nice and warm here. And the sand tickles my feet! Heeheehee!" Timon gawked at Nyeupe's aversion to the blistering hot sand, but Pumbaa was gushing over how adorable the boy was acting. "Oh, Timon! Can we keep him?", begged Pumbaa. Timon huffed and said under his breath, "I seem to remember a conversation like this some years ago." Pumbaa glared and shot back, "What was that, Timon?" Timon smiled nervously and, sweating bullets replied, "Nothing, Pumbaa. Hey, look! We're here!"

**Hakuna Matata, Forgotten Oasis**

The Forgotten Oasis may have been forgotten to some, but not Timon and Pumbaa; they had discovered it themselves back when they were looking for their dream home. For those not familiar with their legend, Timon originally came from a meerkat colony that ostracized him because he couldn't, "dig a tunnah", or, "scurry, sniff, flinch", as well as everyone else; that got him into trouble with the hyenas and led him to decide to find his place out in the Pridelands. After bawling like a baby once the night fell and receiving sagely advice from Rafiki to look beyond what he saw, Timon quite literally ran smack dab into the warthog that would change his life forever. Pumbaa was an outcast too, for pretty obvious reasons, and the two became fast "acquaintances". After causing a gaseous interruption to one of the greatest moments in Pridelands (and animation) history, Riverdancing their way through the Elephant Graveyard, narrowly avoiding the wildebeest stampede, and falling over a waterfall, the unlikely duo discovered at last their Hakuna Matata.

Nyeupe was, to the say the very least, in awe at the tropical paradise before him. "You live here?", asked the feral boy; to which Timon replied, "Eh, we live wherever we want." "Rent free, of course!", butted in Pumbaa, "Like we told Simba years ago, home is where your rump rests!" Nyeupe's jaw hung open, "Simba used to live here? It's beautiful!" Immediately, Timon's ego began to swell and, grinning deviously, he asked, "Hey, kid. How's about I give you the guided tour, eh?" Nyeupe nodded enthusiastically and replied, "Okay!"

Pumbaa looked on in concern and said, "Timon, weren't we supposed to get Nyeupe some covering? Simba ordered us to and I think we should do what Simba says." Timon did a "come here" motion with his neck and when Pumbaa did, he whispered, "We are, Pumbaa. But first, before we clothe him in the trappings of Hakuna Matata, we gotta teach him Hakuna Matata, right?" "Oh, right! Teach!", responded Pumbaa in understanding. Timon sauntered over to Nyeupe and said, "Listen up, kid, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once! As far as living in the Pridelands goes, you've gotta put your old ways behind you!"

Nyeupe looked puzzled and replied, "But I don't have any old ways." Timon smiled and replied, "Good! Then we're half way there!" Pumbaa jumped in with, "Yep! It's times like these when we always say: You've gotta put your behind in your past!" Timon facepalmed and seethed to himself, "Still hasn't learned it. What my esteemed mook of a colleague is trying to say is that you've gotta put your past behind you." Nyeupe asked, "But then how will I survive?" "Adapt to your environment, kid! You're livin' in a veritable paradise! Just look at Pumbaa! He's got it all worked out!", assured Timon, to which Pumbaa agreed, "I do! Wait, I do?"

(cue Warthog Rhapsody, think of the deleted scene)

_Now if you want a role model_  
_Of a life most blissfully led_  
_Then look no further than Pumbaa here_  
_Then this laid-back quadruped_  
_Relaxation's the name of the game_  
_Be cool and be thick-skinned_  
_Let my lifestyle be your reference frame_  
_As long as you stand upwind_  
_Your guide must be this rhapsody_

_I gets up when I likes_  
_He's got it all worked out_  
_I plans the day ahead_  
_He's got it all worked out_  
_When inspiration strikes_  
_He's got it all worked out_  
_I go right back to bed_  
_He's got it all worked out_

_But though he may not be one of nature's dynamos_  
_His mind is on the ball and far from comatose_  
_Don't dismiss the warthog philosophy_

_Take it from he!_  
_He's got it all worked out_  
_Take it from me!_  
_He's got it all worked out_

"Whew!", huffed Pumbaa, "I'm starved!" "Me too!", concurred Nyeupe, "What's for lunch?" Timon grinned and replied, "Glad you asked, kid! Should we tell him, Pumbaa?" "Uhuh!" "Now listen to this, this is the important part!"

_Now who wants to be a hunter_  
_Chasing food all over the place_  
_More often than not it gets away_  
_Who needs the thrill of the chase?_  
_Why move mountains to get your chow_  
_When you only need to move a log_  
_Make it your dietary resolve for now_  
_To eat like the old warthog_  
_Regarding food_  
_Hmmmmmmmmm_  
_His attitude_

_It's bugs for every meal_  
_I've got it all worked out_  
_So full of vitamins_  
_I've got it all worked out_  
_No need to cook or peel_  
_I've got it all worked out_  
_He eats 'em in their skins_  
_I've got it all worked out_

_They're delectable, available, the perfect snack_  
_They ain't endangered species_  
_And they don't fight back_  
_Don't dismiss the warthog gastronomy_

_Take it from he_  
_Take it from me_  
_Take it from he_  
_He's got it all worked out_

_So remember when you see us staring into space_  
_We're caught between a pillow and a soft, soft place_  
_Don't resist the warthog mentality_  
_Take it from he_  
_Take it from me_  
_Take it from he_  
_Take it from we_  
_We've got it all worked out_

At the last second, Timon picked up a grub and shoved it into Nyeupe's mouth. Nyeupe chewed for a few seconds and then smiled in ecstasy with a pleasurable sigh of, "Mmm...grubs..." Timon smiled and said, "Kid, this could be the start of a beautiful...acquaintanceship." Suddenly, loud clapping could be heard from behind them and one turn revealed that it was coming from Zazu. "Oh, bravo, Timon and Pumbaa!", congratulated the king's majordomo sarcastically, "Magnificent, really! There's just one thing wrong with it." Pumbaa looked disappointed and asked, "What, Zazu?" "Well in case you two haven't noticed...THE BOY IS STILL NUDE!", screeched Zazu, "CAN'T YOU TWO LUMMOXES DO ANYTHING RIGHT?! SIMBA NEVER SHOULD HAVE TRUSTED YOU TWO NINCOMPOOPS WITH SUCH A DELICATE TASK!"

Well, speak of the lion and he shall appear. Zazu, of course, was too busy ranting to notice his employer stalking up behind him, so Simba had to call his name a few times to get the blustering hornbill's attention. Finally, Simba was reduced to roaring right in Zazu's ear (wait a second, do birds even have ears?) to get him to snap out of it. "If you're done, Zazu.", said Simba, "Timon, Pumbaa, what are you doing? You were supposed to find some covering for Nyeupe!" Timon looked sheepish and fibbed, "Well, Simba, we were...uh...a funny thing happened, you see..." Pumbaa suddenly blurted out, "WE WERE SHOWING HIM HOW TO LIVE BY THE WARTHOG RHAPSODY!"

Simba cocked an eyebrow and replied, "Right.", then asked, "Rafiki, would you mind taking Nyeupe for a while while we sort this out?" "Ohohohoho! Don't worry, my boy, it would be my pleasure.", answered the mystic mandrill, "Come, Nyeupe, and I will show you the wondrous realm of the Pridelands!" Nyeupe smiled, replied, "Okay!", and followed Rafiki out of the Forgotten Oasis, leaving Simba, Timon, Pumbaa, and Zazu to squabble over finding him an appropriate attire.


	5. Chapter 5: Knowledge is Power

Sura 5 (Chapter 5): Knowledge Is Power (Clothes Make The Animal Part 2)

**Tree of Life, On the border of the Apelands**

"So where are we going, crazy old monkey?", asked Nyeupe. Rafiki cringed and replied, "I told you for the thirty-ninth time! My name is RAFIKI! It means friend! As in a friend trying to help you, silly naked boy!" Nyeupe hung his head and apologized with, "Sorry, Rafiki." Rafiki rolled his eyes and said, "Let's just keep moving." And so they kept walking until they finally reached Rafiki's fabled tree. "Here we are! Old Rafiki's tree!", exclaimed Rafiki, but when he saw Nyeupe was about to just walk in he screamed, "WAIT! Look down there!" Nyeupe looked puzzled and then looked down to see a leaf floor mat that said, "Kuwakaribisha".

"Wipe your feet, please.", asked Rafiki, "I'll not have dirty paw tracks in my tree." "Oh. Sorry, Rafiki.", apologized Nyeupe, who quickly wiped his feet on the leaf "welcome" mat. Rafiki just shook his head nonchalantly and walked into his dwelling with Nyeupe in tow; the human was already blown away by the sheer size of the Tree of Life's outside, but the inside was something else entirely. True to Rafiki's nature and profession as the spiritual mystic of the Pridelands, the branches and trunk of the tree were scattered with gourds, nutshakers, ritual drums, several of Rafiki's staffs, and even Rafiki's turtle shell mixing bowl. "How do you find anything in this mess?", Nyeupe asked Rafiki curiously. "Eh, I usually just wing it.", he replied, "Now, why don't you sit down and make yourself comfortable, while I take a poke at trying to find you something to wear."

Nyeupe nodded and sat down on the floor waiting for Rafiki to return. Starting to get bored, Nyeupe sat up and began to explore the mandrill's cluttered home until he came across several scrolls of parchment that had curious markings on them that looked like places. He picked one up, looked at it, and said, "Map." Next, he looked over and saw a clay pot, dropped the map, picked that up and said, "Pot." Nyeupe then stuck his head in the pot and got it **stuck inside** the pot muttering and yelling, "Uh, oh. Oh, no! Who turned out the lights?! HELP!"

Rafiki heard the screaming and rushed to the human's aid, carrying several articles of clothing over his trying to catch the flailing boy before finally giving up and hitting him on the head with his stick. The pot smashed and fell off Nyeupe's head and he smiled uncomfortably and replied, "Sorry, Rafiki. Guess I got a little too curious." Rafiki just sighed and waved him off, "Don't worry about it.", and, with a twinkle in his mandrill eye, continued, "So, admiring old Rafiki's artifacts were you?" Nyeupe shrugged and replied, "Yeah, they're nice. But I think I recognize some of these things, like the pot that was on my head." Nyeupe then got on his haunches and prowled over to the corner where he saw the map, picked it up and continued, "And I also know that this flappy thing is a map." Rafiki looked astonished at Nyeupe and asked, "You mean you remember some things from your past?" Nyeupe instantly became sullen and his expression fell quickly. "Not a lot.", he replied, "I just know what some things are. What are the Apelands anyway?"

Rafiki grinned and replied, "It is my motherland, dear boy!" Nyeupe looked puzzled at this word, so he asked, "Motherland? What does that mean?" Rafiki explained, "It is the land where I came from. When my troop told me it was time to leave, I became a wanderer; learning all I could about Africa on my travels until I came to the Pridelands. The king and queen of the Pridelands at the time, Ahadi and Uru, gave me a night to stay at Pride Rock." "The big pointy rock?", interrupted Nyeupe, to which he received a knock on the head from Rafiki's staff. "As I was saying.", continued the mandrill, "I met their young sons, Mufasa and Taka, two brothers who walked the Circle of Life on very different paths. The following day, I overheard Taka plotting with hyenas that had attacked me on the road to get Mufasa into trouble. I attempted to warn him, but it was too late, for Taka had already set an angry buffalo named Boma against us. We ran from Boma, and Mufasa told me to climb onto his back. While he ran, Mufasa tricked Boma to fall into a ravine. Taka was not so lucky, for the other buffaloes attacked him and he was cut by one of their horns above his left eye. Because of this humiliation, Taka asked to be called "Scar" from then on."

Nyeupe couldn't understand why, but hearing that name sent a cold shiver down his spine. Slowly, he gulped and asked, "What happened to Scar?" Rafiki sighed solemnly and answered, "He ignored the path given to him by the Circle of Life and let jealousy and a desire for power consume him. He murdered his brother in a wildebeest stampede and made Simba believe that he was the cause of it. Under Scar's rule, the Pridelands became dry and lifeless. Nothing grew, there was nothing left to eat, and the other animals left to find new places to live. But not me." Nyeupe nodded attentively and replied, "What stopped you?" Rafiki walked over to the branches that served as the exit to his tree and looked outside at the savanna. "Hope.", was Rafiki's simple reply, "Hope that Simba would return to set things right and take his rightful place as King of Pride Rock. Hope that the Circle of Life would come back into balance again. Hope that Mufasa's dream would live on."

Tears came to Rafiki's crazy old eyes as he remembered his old friend and sighed, "Well, as Timon would say, "ain't no changin' the past, I guess". Here, I've brought you some clothes that my nephew, Nefu, used to wear. I think they'll fit you just fine." With that, Rafiki handed the boy a pair of torn up, brown cargo shorts and replied, "Put these on." Nyeupe did as he was told and put them on and then started walking around to try and get a feel for them; eventually going into the splits to test their flexibility. Nyeupe looked at Rafiki, smiling, and said, "Not bad, Rafiki. Not bad at all!" Then he held up two fingers with each hand and Rafiki thought endearingly, _If he had a little more hair on his body, he'd make an excellent baboon. _Then Rafiki got an idea. A great idea. The mandrill got a wonderful, great idea. He would ask Nyeupe if he would like to become his apprentice in the mystical arts. The boy could have a proper education and Rafiki could finally have a competent apprentice to pass his wisdom onto. Don't get Rafiki wrong, he loved Nefu like he was his very own, but Nefu just wasn't sorcerer's apprentice material.

Nefu was reckless and headstrong, always rushing into a problem looking for the easiest way out. Rafiki had taken a chance on him when he showed up to his tree; Nefu's parents were in the Apelands' vine country and all Rafiki had wanted Nefu to do was gather the golden gourds that his magic derived from and, like any young slacker, Nefu took the easy way out and used one of Rafiki's sticks to enchant the trees to do it for him. Of course, Nefu's scheme backfired and Rafiki had to clean up the mess. Rafiki shuddered at the thought of what ensued from then on; but it had appeared that the Great Kings of the Past saw fit to give him a second chance.

Nyeupe seemed like a caring and sensitive human who would put all of himself into whatever Rafiki asked him to do. With a smile on his face, Rafiki said excitedly, "Wait here! I have one more surprise for you! Close your eyes and raise your arms ups!" Nyeupe did as he was told and Rafiki dashed up the branches of his tree, to a small hole in the trunk and rummaged through it, finding what he was looking for. It was an elaborate red, yellow, and orange dashiki; the patterning of which seemed to tell the story of Simba's journey and evoke the Circle of Life slid it over Nyeupe's arms and onto his shoulders, then he backed up and said, "Alright, open them." Nyeupe did so and felt something soft and warm on his torso and he felt around and his eyes led him to his new dashiki. Nyeupe examined it and asked, "What is this, Rafiki? It's beautiful and it feels nice." "This is the Maisha Dashiki.", replied the mandrill, "A magical garment that bestows upon the wearer, invulnerability against fire."

Nyeupe gained a look of confusion and asked, "Fire?", to which Rafiki replied sadly, "Yes. One of the unfortunate tragedies is that living in a hot place like the Pridelands is that fires in the grass start quite easily. Thankfully the rain always comes to put out the fire before anyone is seriously hurt. It is a garment truly worthy of a sorcerer's apprentice and a hero." Nyeupe took in what Rafiki said and asked, "Hero? Apprentice? Me?" Rafiki hobbled closer to the boy and put both monkey paws on his shoulders and said, "You did good today, my child. You overcame your own fears and worries about who you were and where you came from to save an innocent life in a world that was not your own. If you would care to learn and to put your compassion and courage to good use, you may stay with me and become my apprentice. It is up to you." Nyeupe backed away for a minute and began to think, _Should I take Rafiki up on his offer? He's giving me a place to live and a chance to do something useful here. Everybody's been nothing but nice to me here. That's it! I'm doing it! I'm staying here!"_

Nyeupe smiled broadly and said, "I'd love to stay with you, Rafiki!" Rafiki just about jumped for joy at this wonderful opportunity, but when he did he forgot about his bad back and yowled with pain. Nyeupe gasped in horror at the grotesque cracking noise coming from the mandrill's spine and tried to help him up, but not before Timon and Pumbaa, with Simba chasing them, burst through Rafiki's Tree yelling, "WE FOUND CLOTHES!", which was basically a big sheet of tough bark. They all tumbled together in a big heap, groaning and moaning in pain. But not Nyeupe; he just smiled innocently and thought, _I'm home._


	6. Chapter 6: Rhythm and Spews

Sura 6 (Chapter 6): Rhythm and Spews

**5 years later, Pridelands, Waterhole**

"Marco!", called out a now teenaged Nyeupe as he waded along through the water with his red, feral eyes closed as he paddled along trying to bump into his best friend: Pembe the elephant. "Polo!", the adolescent pachyderm called back, giggling at Nyeupe's blind paddling which, by now, had taken him twelve meters away. "_He'll never find me now.", _Pembe inwardly snickered before he felt a tap on his rump and a deadpanned, "Polo." Pembe was startled into leaping into the air (if that was even possible), before he promptly landed on Nyeupe with his three tonne behind pinning him underwater. Nyeupe thrust his arms under Pembe and lifted him high, walking to the shore and dropping him on the ground.

"You've got to stop doing that, Pembe!", Nyeupe chastised, "My lungs can only take so much water!" Pembe rushed behind Nyeupe and grabbed him with his trunk, squeezing him with all his might, wailing, "I'm sorry, Nyeupe! Don't worry, I know CPR! I'll have that water out of you in a jiff!" Nyeupe finally hacked up a fish from all of Pembe's squeezing that promptly swam away. Nyeupe yelled out, "Sorry, Samaki!", before turning in Pembe's grip and smacking him on the trunk yelling, "Release, Pembe! Release!" Nyeupe was promptly dropped where he struggled to catch his breath, before forcing a smile and saying, "That'll do, Pembe. That'll do. Let's go find something else to do!"

Pembe nodded excitedly and the two friend headed off to find something else to do. "So... What do you want to do today?", asked Pembe. "I don't know. What do you want to do today?", replied Nyeupe. This went back and forth for a solid half hour before Nyeupe's foot knocked a stray baobab fruit a few inches away. Nyeupe looked at the fruit and then back at Pembe, then back to the fruit and then back at Pembe. He sauntered on all fours over to the fruit and then kicked it to Pembe, whose eyes followed it until at settled near his front legs. Pembe instantly got the idea and kicked it back to Nyeupe, who caught it with his claws, smiled, and said, "Pembe, I know what I want to do today!"

* * *

**Pridelands, Endless Plains**

"You're gonna get it, Nyeupe!", laughed Pembe, "Gimme that ball!" The two were now engaged in their own made up game of "Baoball" running and kicking this way and that throughout the Pridelands. Herds of animals like zebras, wildebeest, gazelles, giraffes, rhinos, and okapis were sparsely around and grazing contentedly, when the two boys sped through plains with their ball, disrupting eating time for many and causing the gazelle herd to take off running. From out of the bushes, the lionesses of Pride Rock led by King Simba's mate, Queen Nala, sped after them, but the gazelles got a head start and soon the lionesses were left huffing and puffing from exhaustion.

Nyeupe and Pembe soon screeched to a halt and all the lionesses glared at them. Nyeupe smiled sheepishly and said, "Hi, ladies! How's the hunt going today?" One lioness got right in Nyeupe's face and said sarcastically, "Oh, it was going fine until you and trunk-face showed up! Those gazelles would have been good as ours if you two weren't playing your stupid game!" Nyeupe and Pembe looked down in shame before Nala stepped in and said, "That'll do, Tama. Nyeupe, Pembe, what are you boys up to?" "We're playing Baoball, your highness!", replied Pembe, "It's a game we just made up!" Nala raised an eyebrow and replied, "Baoball? I swear, sometimes you two come up with the strangest things."

"Sorry, Queen Nala.", replied Nyeupe with big red eyes and Nala caved. She could never stay mad at that face for too long, not since her mate introduced them years ago. She nuzzled Nyeupe and said, "That's all right, Nyeupe. Why don't you and Pembe find somewhere else to play. I'm sure Timon and Pumbaa would love to have you over." Nyeupe jumped for joy and replied, "You're right! Thanks, Queen Nala! Pembe, let's bounce!" The duo promptly bounced away taking their Baoball with them; another lioness sighed and said, "Those two are going to be the death of us, my queen."

* * *

**The Great Desert**

Nyeupe and Pembe were well on their way to Timon and Pumbaa's oasis, singing Hakuna Matata all the way. _"When he was a young elephant!"_, sang Nyeupe, too which Pembe sang, _"WHEN I WAS A YOUNG ELEPHANT!" _Nyeupe took out his earplugs and complimented, "Very nice, Pembe." Then came a quick, "Thanks, buddy!", and a continuing with, "_He found that his tusks were growing faster than they should. He wears his retainer to keep them aligned really good!" _But before Nyeupe could continue, his front paw collided with a wooden object causing him to trip and fall into a somersault, sputtering through the sand. Pembe ran over to his friend and helped him up, also taking time to dust him off. "Are you okay, bro?", asked Pembe nervously, "What happened?" Nyeupe groaned and replied, "I felt like falling over 'cause it's a new way of entering the land of milk and cookies. What do you think happened, Pembe?!" But before Nyeupe could rant further he saw what looked to be wood peeking out of the sand. Nyeupe crawled over and began pushing sand off the object until he found the handle and pulled it out.

It was a stringed, wooden instrument that had a bowl-like base and a long shaft with strings threaded into the top of it. It was decorated with elaborate tribal symbols of objects like the sun and several Pridelands animals. Nyeupe picked up and whispered, "Guitar.", before holding the right way and strumming it a bit and adjusting the tuning until it was just right. He started playing a few chords before finally playing like a pro and singing:

_Who's to say_  
_What's impossible_  
_Well they forgot_  
_This world keeps spinning_  
_And with each new day_  
_I can feel a change in everything_  
_And as the surface breaks reflections fade_  
_But in some ways they remain the same_  
_And as my mind begins to spread it's wings_  
_There's no stopping curiosity_

_I want to turn the whole thing upside down_  
_I'll find the things they say just can't be found_  
_I'll share this love I find with everyone_  
_We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's songs_  
_I don't want this feeling to go away_

Pembe was entranced by Nyeupe's skillful playing and took a seat in the sand to listen as Nyeupe broke into a solo. He then picked up again with:

_Who's to say_  
_I can't do everything_  
_Well I can try_  
_And as I roll along I begin to find_  
_Things aren't always just what they seem_

Using his trunk, Pembe inhaled some sand and began shaking it all about like a maraca as Nyeupe shifted into the chorus:

_I want to turn the whole thing upside down_  
_I'll find things they say just can't be found_  
_I'll share this love I find with everyone_  
_We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's songs_  
_This world keeps spinning and there's no time to waste_  
_Well it all keeps spinning spinning round and round and_

_Upside down_  
_Who's to say what's impossible and can't be found_  
_I don't want this feeling to go away_

Pembe clapped using his front foot and his trunk and praised, "Bravo! Bravo! That was absolutely marvelous! Where'd you learn to play like that, Nyeupe?" Nyeupe shrugged and replied, "I don't know, Pembe. It just kind of came to me. I surprised myself actually." Pembe laughed and said, "Well, whatever it was, I like it! It's like that thing was made for you. Hey, you know what? You should take that thing back to the Pridelands and play it for everybody!" Nyeupe looked down shyly and replied, "I don't know, Pembe...", but couldn't finish as Pembe picked up Nyeupe and put him on his back, saying, "No arguments! You've got a voice that needs to be heard my friend. And you're good elephant buddy'll be with you every step of the way!" Nyeupe shook his head and said, "But wait Pembeeeeee!", as the adolescent elephant trotted back to the Pridelands with Nyeupe jostling along his back.


	7. Chapter 7: Concert Feature

Sura 7 (Chapter 7): Concert Feature

**Pridelands, Nyeupe's Thinking Tree**

"Pembe, I'm really not sure about this. I haven't even had that much time to practice. What if they don't like me?", questioned a hesitant Nyeupe as Pembe dragged him over and plopped him down in front of his thinking tree. "Nonsense, buddy!", assured Pembe, "You've got the talent, the looks, and the moxie to make it to the big time! Plus, you've got the perfect stage right here! It's open, shaded, and intimate; what more could an animal ask for? Don't worry, I'll be right beside you the whole time. Just start playing something." Nyeupe nodded nervously at Pembe and sat cross-legged at the base of the tree and looked out on to the horizon. He could see herds of different animals grazing and some predators stalking their next meal. He strummed a few chords before belting out:

_There's no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard_  
_No song that I could sing but I can try for your heart_  
_Our dreams and they are made out of real things_  
_Like a shoebox of photographs with sepia-toned loving_

_Love is the answer at least for most of the questions in my heart, like_  
_"Why are we here?" and, "Where do we go?"_  
_And, "How come it's so hard?"_  
_It's not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving_  
_I'll tell you one thing it's always better when we're together_

_Mmm, it's always better when we're together_  
_Yeah, we'll look at them stars and we're together_  
_Well, it's always better when we're together_  
_Yeah, it's always better when we're together_

Pembe broke into a humming solo and their combined effort caught the attention of several young animals who trotted and galloped over to listen. Nyeupe was so into playing his music that he had his eyes closed and he was swaying along to it as he continued:

_And all of these moments_  
_Just might find their way into my dreams tonight_  
_But I know that they'll be gone when the morning light sings_  
_Or brings new things for tomorrow night you see_  
_That they'll be gone too, too many things I have to do_

_But if all of these dreams_  
_Might find their way into my day-to-day scene_  
_I'd be under the impression I was somewhere in between_  
_With only two, just me and you, not so many things we got to do_  
_Or places we got to be, we'll sit beneath the mango tree now_

_Yeah, it's always better when we're together_  
_Mmm, we're somewhere in between together_  
_Well, it's always better when we're together_  
_Yeah, it's always better when we're together_

Pembe and Nyeupe both started humming together in perfect harmony and the little ones began swaying along to the music as their parents came to retrieve them, but soon found themselves joining in. Timon and Pumbaa then showed up, following the grubs and insects that came to listen as well. Soon everybody in the Pridelands was there too listen, from the smallest ant to the tallest giraffe. Nyeupe started singing again with:

_I believe in memories they look so, so pretty when I sleep_  
_And when I wake up, you look so pretty sleeping next to me_  
_But there is not enough time, and there is no, no song I could sing_  
_And there is no combination of words I could say_  
_But I will still tell you one thing, we're better together_

Nyeupe finished his song with a few short strums and when he opened his eyes he saw that animals from the jungle, to the savanna, to the river all came to listen to him. Nyeupe let out and, "Eep!", and hid behind the tree. However, his fears were soon abashed by the crowd's trumpeting, roaring, stomping, and snorting in joy at his performance. Pembe went behind the tree to Nyeupe out so he could take his bow and Nyeupe did just that, albeit very shakily. A whooping Rafiki hobbled over with his walking stick and congratulated, "That was wonderful, my boy! You've certainly mastered that instrument of yours! Come back to my tree with me, I have a surprise for you!" Nyeupe instantly lit up and replied, "I like surprises! Let's go!" And with that being said, the two of them left; leaving Pembe to wonder where his best friend went.

* * *

**Tree of Life, On the border of the Apelands**

Thanks to his cheetah speed, Nyeupe was able to get himself and Rafiki back to the Tree of Life in no time. They entered and Rafiki walked over to the curtain covering Nyeupe's room, drew it back, and said, "You wait here and I will be right back with your surprise." Nyeupe sat on his bed and Rafiki left, leaving Nyeupe to look around at the wonderful room he had created over the years. The walls were strewn with knick-knacks and patty-whacks that Nyeupe had either collected or made over the years: carvings of various African animals, drawings of different characters from Nyeupe's memories (like one with colors of red and blue with lines that looked like spider webs and another one that was red, white, and blue and carrying a circular shield), and various trinkets and tribal ornaments that Rafiki had gifted Nyeupe with.

Nyeupe thought for a minute and went over to a box of scraps and pulled out some string that appeared to be woven from savanna grass and tied both ends to the instrument, so that he could wear it over his shoulder. The old mandrill then returned carrying a bunch of potions and things over to Rafiki's magic mixing bowl. "Nyeupe!", called Rafiki, "Would you care to help this old monkey out with these potions?", and Nyeupe ran over to help Rafiki put his potions down next to the bowl and asked, "Do you still have that instrument of yours, my young apprentice?" Nyeupe nodded and replied, "Got it right here. What's my surprise?" Rafiki hooted and answered, "You'll see, my boy. Now, pass me that coconut shell of banana juice. You can also light the feathers."

Nyeupe nodded, pointed his staff at the feather and said, _"__Moto", _and clacked the gourds tied to the stick; fire spouted onto of the ostrich, flamingo, hornbill, oxpecker, parrot, and vulture feathers that Rafiki had already placed in the bowl; the cause of which was a big explosion that left a cloud of smoke in the bowl. Rafiki began reciting an incantation that went like this: _"J__uisi ya ndizi kuleta funk (Banana juice to bring in the funk). Maji ya mananasi kuleta kelele (Pineapple juice to bring in the noise). Baobab juisi kuleta katika mwamba (Baobab juice to bring in the rock). Juisi ya nyanya kuleta katika spunk (Tomato juice to bring in the spunk)." _Rafiki then snapped his fingers and pointed to Nyeupe's instrument, indicating that he wanted Nyeupe to hand him his instrument. Nyeupe slung it from around his shoulder and passed it to his teacher, who reached up and plucked a bit of hair from Nyeupe's dreadlocks and tossed both of them into the smoking bowl.

The bowl suddenly erupted with a stream of colors that rumbled through the Tree of Life and then settled into a vesper. "Tongs.", ordered Rafiki and Nyeupe came back with just that and Rafiki reached in and pulled out the instrument, which was now glowing in gold before settling back to it's normal form. Nyeupe looked at it in amazement and asked, "What did you just do, Rafiki?", too which Rafiki replied, "I upgraded your instrument, my boy. Now you can play it in any way you like. Give it a try." Nyeupe took a few minutes to think, before laying down a hard rock riff that really rocked the tree and caused everything to fall over. Rafiki covered his ears and yelled, "THAT'LL DO, NYEUPE! YOU CAN STOP NOW!" Nyeupe halted his solo and blushed in embarrassment, saying, "I guess I need to practice a little, huh Rafiki?" Rafiki burst out with his usual Rafiki laugh and replied, "That you will, my fine kijana, that you will."


	8. Chapter 8: A Friendship in Peril

Sura 8 (Chapter 8): A Friendship in Peril (Is it Really?)

**Pridelands, Nyota-W****akiangalia**** Hill, Nighttime**

"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Those stars looks like a giraffe!", exclaimed Pembe, "See the long neck?" Nyeupe laughed and replied, "Yeah, I do. Hey! That looks like Kiboko that time he sat on a porcupine! Ha! Classic! And that one looks like...me?" Nyeupe looked puzzled as he squinted up at the sky and said, "That's weird Pembe, that group of stars looks like me. I mean it's shaped like me, look." Pembe looked up and say a figure in the stars that was certainly shaped like Nyeupe; not exactly, but it still had his basic form. "Weird.", said Pembe, "You told me that one of the lessons you learned about from Rafiki was that the stars was that they told the story of everyone's lives from beginning until the end. This looks almost like you, but not quite; to me it looks almost...female?" Nyeupe went pale and he shot up suddenly, whimpering, "Pembe? I'm scared. Does this mean I'm going to turn into a girl?" Pembe saw the perfect opportunity to poke some fun and said, "Well, Nyeupe, look at it this way. I think you'll make a very attractive woman. You'll have to beat the men off with your stick." Nyeupe recoiled in horror at Pembe's teasing and said, "Listen, I've got go and talk to Rafiki about this! Goodnight, Pembe! See you tomorrow!" Pembe thought he had too far and said, "Nyeupe, wait. I'm sorry!", but Nyeupe was already gone, leaving Pembe to wonder, "Was it something I said?"

* * *

**Tree of Life, On the border of the Apelands, Nighttime**

Rafiki was sitting cross-legged in his tree, meditating on today's events. He continually repeated the mantra, _"Asante sana, squash banana. Wewe nugu, mimi hapana." _The mandrill was so enlightened that he was hovering in the air, a blue phosphorescent glow surrounding him. Being a mystic of the caliber of his own, Rafiki had enough power and experience to achieve a state of transcendent being: Kutafakari. The only problem was that anytime someone tried to disturb the host of Kutafakari, even the slightest touch, the spiritual connection would be severed. And sure enough with a call of, "Rafiki! Rafiki! I need to talk to you!", Nyeupe was sent barreling into Rafiki at rhino ramming speed, sending both master and apprentice into a tumblefest that ended with them crashing into the back of Rafiki's tree. Various shamanistic tools and trinkets were knocked to the floor, practically burying Rafiki and Nyeupe under them. Suddenly, Rafiki burst out of the mess, fuming like a volcano about to blow and he practically screeched, "NYEUPE, YOU SILLY PINK THING! YOU HAVE INTERRUPTED MY TRANSCENDENT MEDITATION! I WAS A FUR'S DISTANCE AWAY FROM SOLVING WORLD HUNGER!" The boy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and apologized, "Sorry, Rafiki. But I have to talk to you about something important! I was stargazing with Pembe tonight, when I saw something strange. There was a group of stars that looked like me. I mean it was shaped like me, but it looked like a girl or something."

Rafiki took a deep breath and asked, "A female? Like you? Hmm. Most unusual. What happened then?", to which Nyeupe shrugged and replied, "Well, then I was afraid that I might turn into a girl and Pembe teased me a bit and then I left to find you. I thought if anyone had answers to give me, you might." Rafiki closed his eyes, breathed in for a moment, and then let it out with a content smile on his face. "What is it, Rafiki?", asked Nyeupe, "Have you thought of something?", and Rafiki replied, "Oh no, dear boy. I was merely passing gas. Hahaha!" Nyeupe scrunched up his nose for a sniff and said, "I don't smell any- OH! NO! THAT IS FOUL! UGH! OHO!" "It is funny.", said Rafiki impishly, "You do not seem to mind when Pumbaa unleashes his horrid stink for all to hear and smell." Nyeupe, who was rolling on the ground with his hands covering his face, coughed, "That was different! Pumbaa at least has the courtesy to warn everybody before he let loose! Ugh!" Rafiki changed the subject back to what Nyeupe had come to ask him about with, "Now, down to business. It would seem to me that the Great Kings of the Past are attempting to tell you something." Nyeupe suddenly snapped to attention and asked, "Trying to tell me something? What? What do they want me to do?" Rafiki sighed, scratched his chin thoughtfully, and answered, "I am uncertain. I think this puzzlement is better to be solved by you and you alone." Nyeupe looked at Rafiki suspiciously and asked, "Are you just saying that to get out of helping me?"

Rafiki suddenly jolted and began stammering, "Uh...I...Uhhh...BETTER TO BE SOLVED TOMORROW! OFF TO BED WITH YOU! GOODNIGHT!" Rafiki then promptly picked up Nyeupe and tossed him through the leaves of the tree to his "room" on the second level of the Tree of Life. Nyeupe had a look of befuddlement on his face and he said to himself, "That was weird. Oh, well. Maybe Rafiki's right, sleeping on this might help me understand what's going on. Until tomorrow morning I guess. Goodnight, Pridelands." With that, Nyeupe settled in for a good night's sleep.

* * *

**Lake Kaziwa, Nighttime**

While Nyeupe was settling in for a good night's sleep, Pembe was having anything but. He had spent his entire walk home tormenting himself with negative thoughts of Nyeupe being offended by his teasing. Pembe tortured himself with irrational questions like, "Will Nyeupe play with me anymore?", and, "Will we wallow in mud ever again? Will we roll down the grassy hills of the Pridelands? Are we ever going to take turns washing each other's backs in the-", before Tembo, Pembe's father, came to greet him with, "What do you mean by being late, my son? You were supposed to be home by the time the stars had settled into the night sky. What do you have to say for yourself?" Pembe lowered his head and his ears drooped as he apologized with, "Sorry, Dad. I'll go to bed now." Tembo could feel the sadness in his son's voice and before Pembe could trot off, he grabbed him with his mighty trunk, pulled him back in front of him, and asked, "Son, what's the matter? Didn't you have a good time with Nyeupe? Did something happen?" Pembe looked up at his father with sad eyes and explained, "Things were going great, Dad. We were just lying there, looking at the stars, when all of a sudden I saw this group of stars that were shaped like Nyeupe, but almost female-like." Tembo's face fell and he took on a thoughtful look before saying, "Alright. Then what happened?" "Then I started teasing Nyeupe a bit.", Pembe continued, getting more hysterical, "Nothing major, just our usual banter. Then, suddenly, he told me he had to go! What if I hurt his feelings, Dad?! We both know how sensitive he can be!"

Tembo sighed, for he knew his son was overreacting, and comfortingly said, "Pembe, do you remember the day you and Nyeupe met?" Pembe was dumbstruck by his father's question and he put his trunk to his chin in thought, repeating the words, "The day Nyeupe and I met. The day Nyeupe and I met. _The day Nyeupe and I met...(Woah, why's everything going all wiggly?)"_

_Because it's Flashback Time..._

* * *

**Zuberi River, 5 years ago**

HELP!", screamed a younger Pembe at the top of his lungs, who was clinging onto a large branch for dear life. Back in those days, Pembe was clumsy and uncoordinated and, as such, the other elephant calves avoided him at the risk of their own safety; Pembe's tusks hadn't even grown in yet. And now, the prepubescent pachyderm was on a precarious perch above the fastest moving river in the Pridelands. Several animals had arrived on the scene, including Tembo and Pembe's then alive mother, Ashtaa, but Simba had not yet arrived, nor had any kind of rescue strategy been thought of yet. "Tembo, honey!", called Ashtaa to her son, "I know you're scared, but listen! Listen to Mommy, shina kidogo! (little trunk!) Just hold on a little longer! We'll get you down!" She turned to her mate, who had come out of his solitary lifestyle to help their son, and asked, "Is help on the way, Tembo?" Tembo's brow furrowed with stress and he replied, "I've trumpeted for King Simba several times, but he hasn't responded. How exactly did Pembe get up there?" Before Ashtaa could respond, a snapping noise could be heard as the branch bent under the pubescent elephant's weight and a terrified whimper could be heard from Pembe himself. When, all of a sudden, the sound of someone running extremely fast could be heard behind them; several animals could then feel a figure land on their backs and then push off them, as if the figure was hopping its way over to Pembe via animal back.

With a great cry of, "Kuwaokoa! (To the rescue!)", the figure landed in front of Pembe and stood where he was, showing himself to be a ten-year-old Nyeupe. He was wearing the big bark sheet that Timon and Pumbaa had brought him as a cloak and he had fashioned a hood to conceal his face. He had a rope of vine tied around his body which he shimmied off himself and tossed over the river's edge, while still holding on to one end; he then turned to the crowd of animals and said, "You there! Rhino! Hold this for me will you?" The rhino in question stepped forward and asked, "Me?", but didn't get a response as the disguised Nyeupe tossed the vine to her and she caught it in her mouth. Next, Nyeupe proceeded to grab the other end of the vine and slid down the rock wall to where Pembe was; the elephant looked at his mysterious savior and said, "What are you going to do?", to which Nyeupe replied, "Well, the first thing I'm going to do is introduce myself." He promptly flipped down his hood, smiled and greeted, "Hi! My name is Nyeupe and I'll be your rescuer today." Pembe was quite shocked when he saw what Nyeupe looked like; he had never seen a human before and wasn't expecting what was in front of him. For one thing, Nyeupe was quite dirty from all his physical activity in the savanna (also, he did not, I repeat, not like taking baths in any shape or form, unless it was a wallow in the mud or dirt). Also, he looked more animal-like then Pembe was expecting, with red-slitted eyes and sharp teeth, as well as claws. This frightened Pembe at first, thinking that Nyeupe had come to eat him, but he saw the kindness in Nyeupe's eyes and immediately threw all those thoughts away.

"So how do you plan to get me out of here?", Pembe suddenly asked. Nyeupe grinned wider and answered, "Like this.", before grabbing Pembe by his trunk and flinging him up over the ledge; Pembe let out a very Goofy-like, "AAAAAAAAAHOOHOOHOOHOOEEEE!", and plummeted back down into the crowd of animals that had gathered. Tembo and Ashtaa immediately rushed over to check on their calf, while Nyeupe pulled himself up onto the river's edge. All eyes were immediately upon him and Nyeupe began to sweat bullets, afraid that the Pridelanders had discovered his identity (even though it really wasn't much of a secret). He pulled a round object, a coconut shell, from his "utility belt" and launched it at the ground; it exploded, completely engulfing him in yellowish mist. A foul stench filled the air that smelled like it came from a certain warthog's behind; while the crowd was distracted, Nyeupe fled and left everyone to gag and keel over in disgust. Simba and Zazu arrived on the scene later, only to find that they were to late. Pembe was safe and the air was filled with horrible stink, leading Simba to ask, "Why does it smell like Pumbaa here?"

* * *

**Lake Kaziwa, Nighttime**

"And do you remember what happened next?", asked Tembo, bringing Pembe out of his flashback. "Huh? What happened next?", asked Pembe, too which his father replied, "You followed Nyeupe back to Rafiki's Tree and asked if you and he wanted to be friends. And what did he say?" Pembe looked away from Tembo in shame and answered, "He said yes." Tembo smiled knowingly at his son and continued, "And you've been friends ever since. I'm sure Nyeupe knows you were joking. But if it really means that much to you, you can always make it up to him tomorrow. For now, go to sleep, shina kidogo (little trunk)." With that, Tembo turned over onto his side and fell asleep, as did the rest of the elephants. Before Pembe turned in for the night, however, he had one thought still in his head, _"Tomorrow, I'll prove to Nyeupe that I'm still his best friend! I'll go into overtime to show him how much he means to me!" _Pembe finally went to sleep, unaware of the troubles that would await him and Nyeupe tomorrow morning, because of a simple misunderstanding.


End file.
